In this series of Treasures from the Archives we bring you interesting articles from the extensive twenty year archives of the World Haiku Review.

Visiting Shiki’s House

Uguisu-dani is a small station on the Yamanote Railway Line, five stops and due north from Tokyo Station. On the map, it looks drowned by the hurly-burly of the Ueno sprawl which is the centre of that part of the gigantic metropolis. Tokyo is on flat land. There are, however, hillocks and hammocks here and there, of which Ueno is one.

suzume yori uguisu ooki Negishi kana

Shiki, 1893 (Meiji 26)

more bush warblers
than sparrows are here –
Ah, Negishi!

version by ST

Read the rest of this fascinating article HERE.